Method of removing solids suspended in moving gases



R. B RATHBUN. METHOD OF REMOVING souns SUSPENDED IN MOVING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT, 3], I918.

Patented June 14, 1921.

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T a- WITNESS 684% M WWW/FNMA R B) I W M rmmvers ROSS IBUXTON RATUII, 0hSALT LAKE GI'T'ST, UTAH.

METHOD OF REMOVING SOLIDS SUSPENDED Illl' MOVING: GASES.-

res-re Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June let. l92l,

Application filed @ctober 31, 1918. Serial No. 260,464.

T 0 all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, Ross BUXTON RATH- BUN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake andState of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of Removing Solids Suspended in Moving Gases, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

The invention relates in general to an improvement in the art ofprecipitating solids suspended in moving gaseous streams in which artthe gaseous streams are passed through an electrostatic field andspecifically relates'to a new form of electrode for use in connectionwith this treatment of gases.

The primary object of this invention is to improve the efficiency ofelectrical precipitation and incidental to. this general desideratum itis a further object of the invention to reduce the cost of both theoriginal installation of the systemand the succeeding cost of operation.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular description of oneform of mechanism embodying my inven: tion, and the invention alsoconsists in certain new and novel features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter set forth (and claimed.

Tn order to illustrate one form of apparatus capable of carrying out thenew mode of treatment, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view through a gasconducting flue or chamber equipped with a preferred embodiment of myinvention; and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the same and taken on theline 2-20f Fig l. T

.lln the accompanying drawing, there is shown a. flue chamber l0mountedon sup-v ports 11 and for the purpose of this disclosure vthis chamber.may be considered as any of the gas conducting -flues found inmetallurgical plants. I

- A plurality of fine meshed wire screens 12 are positioned in theconduit 10 and spaced apart in the direction of the flow of the gastherethrough as indicated by the arrows 1n Fig. 2. These screens areelectrically coupled together, insulated from the active electrode andgrounded at g to form the passive electrode. Both electrodes constitutethe collecting agency for receiving the ionized particles as they arepassed through the electro-static field. The active electrode elementsare formed of a plurality of fine wlres 13, positioned between each pairof screen electrodes and spaced apart from each other and from thescreenelectrodes. These wires, constituting the elements of theactiveelectrode, are electrically connected to a suitable source ofelectric energy as is usual with lmown types of these devices. I a I Thegas streams bearing the suspended solids are passed through influence ofthe strong electric field created and the line particles of fume areagglomerated into a larger mass and these together with the largerparticles, commonly called flue dust receive a charge by contacting withthe surrounding static lines of force where they join the wires of thescreens, increasing the potential gradients in their vicinity andthereby increasing the zone of ionization. There results a materiallyimproved rate of dust precipitation per unit area and per unit weight ofelectrode and the loss of draft due to friction is reduced and thetemperature conserved. There also results an economy in the use of thisimproved device in that the screen and wire sets can be mounted in anyconvenient flue or. conduit, thus avoiding the necessity of specialconstruction to accommodate the treater. Further as there is but littlemetal in the screens and their cost is much less than the cost ofsimilar areas of without departing metal plate, there is a materialsaving in Having thus described my invention, ll

claim:

1. lln the art of removing solids from gaseous bodies, the process whichconsists in passing all particles of a'body of gas along substantiallyparallel lines and through a series of electro-static fields disposed inthe direction of flow of the gas so that all of the gas willbe compelledto pass through more than one field and equally treated, each of saidfields characterized by having lines of force which extend in thegeneral direction of flow of the gases and in which the lines of forceconverge to increase the "potential gradient and thus increase the zoneof ionization.

2. In the art of removing solids from gaseous bodies, the process whichconsists ill Sill)- jecting all portions of the as equally to the actionof an electro-stat-ic eld in which the lines of force converge toward aplurality of passive lines spaced apart transversely of the line of gasHow and causing all of the gas to move between said passive lines andsubstantially in the mean general direction of said lines of force.

3. In the art of electrical precipitation of solids from gases in whichan active elec-v trode element and a plurality of spaced I apart passiveelectrode elements having perforations therein are employed, the processwhich consists in passing the gases through said perforations and in adirection to cause them to move in parallel lines from one of theelectrode elements to the other substantially in the direction of thelines of torce between the electrode elements.

4. In the art of electridal precipitation of solids from gaseousstreams, the process which consists in creating a series ofelectrostatic fields in each of which the lines of force converge insets and pass in one direction from a plurality of perforated passiveelectrodes and causing the" gaseous stream to traverse said fields andat right angles to the plane of the passive electrodes substantially inthe mean direction of said lines of force while limiting the flow of gasto, the electrostatic field whereby all particles of the gas will besubjected to the electric treatment.

5. In a device of the class described, the

a flow of path coextensive with the cross-section of the path and spacedapart in the direction oil the gases passing therethrough, a pluralityof sets of transversely spaced apart electrodes disposed betweenadjacent screens and spaced from said screens. to create anelectrostatic fieldvbetween each electrode and the adjacent screens andto act as collectors for collecting .the dustprecipitated from thegases.

6. ln a device of the class described, the combination of a conduit forgases, means for creating an electro-static field in said conduit, saidmeans including a screen constituting a passive electrode disposedtransversely across said conduit and, provided with openings to permitthe passage of the gases therethrough, and a wire constituting an activeelectrodespaced from said passive electrode and coacting therewith toform an electro-static field to precipitate solids from the passinggases and ineansfor causing the gases to pass at right angles to andthrough the plane of the screen and in a direction from the screen tothe wire.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality ofparallel spaced apart metallic screens constituting passive electrodeelements, a p urality of active electrode elements disposed betweenadjacent pairs of screens, said active elements being spaced aparttransversely to permit gases to pass between the same and being spacedfrom the screens and means'tor directing all of the gases successivelythrough the meshes of the screen electrode elements.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality ofparallel spaced apart metallic screens, constituting passive electrodeelements, aplurality of active electrode elements in the form of finewires disposed between adjacent pairs of screens, said active elementsbeing spaced apart to permit gases to-pa etween the same and beingspaced from the screens and means for directing gases perpendicularlythrough the meshes of the screen electrode elements and between theactive electrode elements, said screens being connected electrically andgrounded and said active electrodes designed to be connected to a sourceof electric energy.

9. lln a device of the class described; the combination of a gas conduitand means for creating an electro-static field of uniform intensityentirely across in said conduit, said means including electrodes ofrelatively large exposed surface extending entirely across the path ofthe gases in sald conduit and with the elements thereof spaced apart andpermitting the gases to flow therethrough and other electrodes ofrelatively small exposed surface spaced from the large surfaceelectrodes lengthwise of the conduit and exposed on each side tothezlarge surface electrodes.

10. In a device of the class described, the 5 combination of a gasconduit and means for creating an electro-static field in said conduit,said means including electrodes extending across the path of the gasesin said conduit and with the elements thereof spaced 10 apart andpermitting the gases to flow therethrough, alternate electrodes bein inthe form of wire mesh screens and tie intermediate electrodes beinginthe form of Wires spaced apart transversely of the length of the gasconduit. f

Signed at Salt Lake in'the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah this23rd day of September, A. 13.1918.

' Ross BUXTON RATHBUN.

